Stay connected

Welcome to Always Connected! Here, you can check out daily postings of site
news and browse through the latest advertisements. However, there's a whole lot
more to AC than just staying informed. Read interesting articles, get interviewed,
and learn about special site events.

The goal of AC is simple. It's a community-driven
site that aims to bring owners and visitors together in one place. I hope that you
take part in this project. Whether you're posting news from around the community, writing an
article about your favourite button-making techniques, creating a poster, or just providing feedback, I hope to
hear from you soon!

Aug.12.2014 / Time flies by...+ Check out my new interview with Anna, the owner of Java!
+ The poster ads have been updated and some have been removed due to inactivity or closed sites.
+ 2 text ads+ 1 The Ones To Watch+ Be sure to send in any items you think should be featured next month. It could be anything from buttons and layouts, to fonts and reviews.
+ Vote in the visitor poll as well if you haven't done so already.
+ Lastly, post your comments on AC's visitor message board. Suggest new ideas, comment on
someone else's post, and more.

Jul.30.2014 / See you in August!+ Nothing new to report, but the dates have changed for the site event and news item from yesterday. Be sure to check it out!

Jul.28.2014 / A six hour plane ride...+ 3 news+ 1 poster ad+ 1 special site event+ Some strange issues with blocked words in some new postings for today so I had to edit it a bit. If you want to know more about, check out the FAQ, "Why was my news post edited?"

Jul.28.2014 / A six hour plane ride...+ 3 news+ The Top Contributor, Monthly Features, or the Visitor poll will not be updated this month.
Regular updates for these AC extras will resume Sept. 1.

Jul.27.2014 / A yellow jersey+ 1 news+ Just a quick reminder. I'll be on vacation from July 31 to August 12. If you have any site news/events you want to post early, be sure to send it in before.

At a glance

Current events & top news!

August 17 / Visit Schedule, a directory that also shows you request status updates!
July 6 / TLB and OE are back!
July 6 / The Shelf is back. List your site today!

About the site:

Send in news, get interviewed, and so much more!

Get involved, stay connected! Here, you can learn more about how you can share your news,
advertise your site, get interviewed, and much more! Be sure to read through the guidelines and make sure you copy the correct form. As always, I'm always
available if you have any questions.

Important note! Because of the neomail glitch, please do not include full links (ex. http://www.neopets.com/userlookup.phtml?user=polyanthus). Instead, write the "short" form, like this: /userlookup.phtml?user=polyanthus or /~petname.

Site news

News

You do not need to be the site owner in order to send in news. For example, if you see a site that just opened requests, send it in!

The news you send in must be relatively new (ex. news that's over a week is too old).

If you send in multiple news posts, please use one form per news item.

If you want to post an event, please use the "Special Events" form below, not this one.

Examples of news: new layout, going on hiatus, site closed, requests are open, site has moved URL.

News does not include regular updates unless it's a major one, like revamping an entire section, or adding a completely new section. "Grand openings" are best for the "advertisement" section.

Have you posted some news? Why not grab this button!

Advertisements

Ad (text)

Ad (poster)

You do not need to be the site owner in order to advertise a site. For example, if you see a site that you think has a lot of potential or needs more exposure, send it in!

The ad you send in must be for a site. For example, no "about me", portfolios, guild webbies, or any other personal pages.

Your ad must not have any sort of time limit. For example, if you want to post "open requests", use the news form.

If you send in multiple advertisments, please use one form per item. For instance, three sites being advertised? Copy and paste the form three times.

Poster guidelines can be found here. If you're submitting text news, your message can be as long as you want.

Special events

Site events

You do not need to be the site owner in order to send in an event. For example, if you see a site that is hosting one, send it in!

The event you send in must be active (i.e. it can't be close to ending).

Event do not include regular competitions (like competition sites) unless it's only a "one time" event..

Get interviewed

Interview (text)

Interview (poster)

If you choose to get interviewed for a poster, please try to keep your answers brief.

For text interviews, your answers can be as long as you want!

For poster interviews, the interviewer is the one making the poster.

Generally, I'll ask questions about one of your sites. However, if you want to talk about more than one
of your sites, include as many as you want in the form.

Submit an article

Article (text)

Article (poster)

You do not need to own a site in order to write an article.

Articles should be related to the site community somehow.

Examples of topics: your favourite sites, how you like to make banners, what's the best parts of a layout, the general site community, favourite site owners.

Articles should not be about: topics not appropriate for Neopets, guilds, personal
pages, shops, galleries, etc.

If you're writing a text article, try not to include any fancy coding since it might not work
well with AC's current coding. Feel free to add simple formatting though (ex. italics, bold, links).

Poster guidelines can be found here. If you're submitting text articles, your message can be as long as you want.

special features

The Ones To Watch

A Site To See

Monthly Features

You do not need to own a site in order to feature someone.

The Ones To Watch: This features new sites (3 months or less) that you think deserve some attention.

A Site to See: This features well established sites that have been around for quite some time. Additionally, sites should have a large amount of content. If you're unsure whether or not a site fits these requirements, send me a neomail.

Monthly Features: This features the top content made from the previous month. Examples of things you can feature: button, icon, layout, pixel, shield, reviews, etc. Keep in mind that this does not include full sites, only content.

Monthly Contributors

Every time you send something in to AC, whether it's posting some news or letting me know about something that needs editing, your name will get posted on the list below and you'll earn points based on what you sent in. At the end of the month, the visitor(s) with the most points will be named the Top Contributor for that month! Here's a table of the point system (note: Some items have an "owner" and "non-owner" beside it. This just means whether or not you own the site you're sending items in for. Generally, you'll earn more points if you're not the owner of a site. This is to encourage visitors to search for things).

F.A.Q.

poster guidelines

If you're using textures and other editing resources, you can put a small watermark credit at the bottom corner. For instance, Textures from Details (/~liahness).

You do not have to make your own banner (i.e. you can request one or have a friend make it for you). In that case, you should ask that the maker put their own credit on the bottom corner.

Please try to condense your information into 1 poster. If you absolutely can't, you can submit two posters for your article/interview.

Information to include...

For interview posters: Always include your own name and who's being interviewed. For example, Turnip interviews (name here), the owner of (site name).

For site ads, always include your site name. You could also write a blurb about what your site offers.

For articles: have your own name or username. For example, Article written by (username) on (date here). You should also have a spiffy title at the top!

If you're referring to a site, include the short link in brackets. For example: I own a site called Always Connected (/~ectophyte).

Posting

What sort of "site news" don't you accept?
We don't accept "regular" site news, like "I added 10 icons. Come check them out!" For posters, image mapping and uploading content
at this site takes a bit more effort so the news should be a bit more substantial. If a graphics site added a completely new section, like pixels, then that's fine to post.
Things like site name changes, URL changes, and open requests are perfectly fine.

Why was my news post edited?
I don't edit your news post unless there are issues with spelling and/or grammar, or there's an issue with a blocked word. At times, Neopet's coding filters may block certain words so I'll have to change it to something else. The filters are a bit strange. For example, sometimes a word may be blocked in the news section, but it works fine in other areas of AC. Overall, I'll do my best to keep the integrity and overall meaning of your post.

What types of "articles" are not accepted?
As long as it relates somehow to the site community at large, then it's fine. For example, you could write about your favourite button sites, what new sites you enjoy visiting, a special feature about site owners you admire, and so on.

However, please do not write an overly negative article (such as one criticizing other site owners, even if you're not naming them in your writing). The atmosphere at AC is meant to be welcoming to all site owners and visitors. It is not the forum for personal rants or grievances.

What's the difference between poster ads and normal text-based ads?
Poster ads are much more colourful, fun, and creative. The whole purpose of this site was to be a site version of
the notice board.

Should I post an advertisement in the regular ad section, or the Ones To Watch?
If your site is new, it's better to post in The Ones to Watch because thank section is specifically for new
petpages. If your site is relatively older and more established, then post in the regular ad section.

Can I post news/advertisements for a guild?
In general, I will decline the news/ad for guilds since AC was meant for the site community, rather than the
guild community. However, I highly recommend you visit Alliance, which is similar to this site but exclusively for guilds.

If I'm the writer of a text article, can I post a comment on someone else's comment?
Absolutely! If you want to comment on something a visitor said about your article, feel free!

Why was my form (news, ad, etc.) not posted?
See "What types of "articles" are not accepted?" above for more details. In general, very few posts are
rejected. The only situation where
something will not be posted include: stolen or lack of credit at a site, irrelevant information (ex. posting
news about open requests if it's going to close in a few hours anyway), or repeated information (ex. someone's
already posted similar news about that site). In the case where the site's owner sends in news themselves,
their news will be posted, rather than a random visitor's.

special features

How ofter is A Site To See updated?
The feature is updated whenever the next "roster" is full. As soon as I receive 6 high-quality, well established
sites, I'll get working on the next poster. That being said, this is an area of the site that's not likely to be
updated frequently.

What types of sites should I send in to A Site To See?
Because ASTO is not a feature of new sites (like The Ones To Watch), sites must be well established. In many
cases, the site should be at least one month old (this is only a rough guideline; if the site has a lot
of content already, then feel free to send it in).

Sites should contain high-quality content, and enough of it to provide a large variety to visitors (for example, if you're featuring a
premade layout site, it should have over 10 different layouts).

What are some of the guidelines for the Monthly Feature?
- The content you feature must be current. For example, if you're sending in a feature for the month of April, then the content must have been
made during the month of March.
- You can send in a maximum of two items made by that particular site or person. For example,
two buttons made by Site A and two buttons made by Site B is fine. 3 buttons by Site A is not.
- Your "blurb" about the featured item must be somewhat relevant. Please try to stay away from
explanations like "I featured this because it looks cute!". Instead, focus on why you chose that
particular piece of content, what makes it high-quality, and why the visitor should care about
it.

More about the site

What's the purpose of this site?
It's sort of a mix between your regular "advertising" site and a magazine. The purpose of this site is to create
a hub where site owners (and non-site owners) can get updated on their favourite sites.

How often will this site by updated?
Daily. At the very least, it'll be updated once per day, usually around 7:00 AM NST. During the
school year, this will probably change to once a day, around 3:00 PM NST.
The bulk of this site is based in the "news" section, so I will always make sure
that it gets posted.
Other features, like those in the "extras", are meant to be more of a monthly or bi-weekly "magazine" rather
than a daily project.

Can I be your affiliate?
Feel free to visit the sitely page and send me a neomail! Since this is a site based
on the community at large, I'm not looking for a specific site type. Sites with high-quality content will
be considered. All I ask is that you do not have any stolen content at your site, and that you're not completely
brand new (i.e. the site should have some content).

What's new?

Stay connected! Here, you'll find news from all of your favourite sites. If you have something you want to share with everyone else, click here.
Not only can you post news for your own site, but you can send in a form for news you find at other sites as well!

news for today

Site owner: Cynthia Posted by:KellyDate: Sep.13 / 6:05 PM NST
Type of site: UCs UFA database
News:
Secret Garden has a new layout and is now on indefinite hiatus.

Site owner:KaylaPosted by:KaylaDate: Aug.14 / 6:20 AM NST
Type of site: Site Community
News:
Asura has been completely wiped and it started off on a clean slate. All site owners that wish to list or re-list their sites, please fill out the form and send it in. I finally have my schedule planned around work and college, so Asura will be 100% active once again. It's good to be back.

Site owner: Jewlz Posted by: Jewlz Date: Jul.29 / 12:00 PM NST
Type of site: Tutorial site
News:
Jewlz has opened a new tutorial site! Right now, it features a guild layout guide with more to come.

Site owner: Jennifer Posted by: Jennifer Date: Jul.29 / 12:00 PM NST
Type of site: Competition Site
News:
Dusk is a new competition site that recently opened it's doors to the public and is currently holding button, icon, and site of the month contests. Be a part of the fun and enter a competition today! Dusk is also looking for affiliates and listers, so please
feel free to contact me if you're interested.

Site owner:AnnaPosted by:AnnaDate: Jul.28 / 8:00 AM NST
Type of site: Review
News:
Java has officially opened to the public. We're currently looking for affiliates. Also, requests are currently open! Come request sow so you don't miss out.

Site owner:Joy Posted by:JoyDate: Jul.28 / 8:00 AM NST
Type of site: adoption agency
News:
Ray of Light has revamped and has added tons of new things! List your pet now and be a friendly zapper and lister.

Site owner:AnnaPosted by:AnnaDate: Jul.22 / 6:20 PM NST
Type of site: Anna
News:
Anna is working on opening her new review site and is looking for 4 sites to practice her rubrics on. Please neomail her for more information.

Special site events

Are you going to be hosting a special event at your site? A special layout giveaway, a holiday-themed treasure
hunt, or anything else, you can inform visitors that something special's going down at your petpage!
Click here to post a new event!

Site owner:Jewlz & HayleyName of event: Make a Wish
Date: August 1st
More about the event:
Crumble has hit its 6 month anniversary! As a special event, we have made a collection of adoptables for people to "make a wish" on, and they will turn into something special. Come join the tea party to make your wish.

Site advertisements

Want to get more visitors to your site or do you just want to spread the word about a new petpage? Post an advertisement here for visitors to check out!
Click here to post an ad for your own site, or a site you thinks needs more spotlight.

Site owner:RebeccaPosted by:RebeccaDate: Aug 19
Type of site: Customization
Chimerrie is a customization site that offers a wide array of premade customizations as well as custom requests for your extra special pets!

Site owner:AmiraPosted by:AmiraDate: Aug 19
Type of site: Link Directory
Prism is a fairly new Link Directory and we need some more links. So is your site new and do you need some extra advertising? Send in a listing request for Prism today!

Site owner:CynthiaPosted by:CynthiaDate: Aug 18
Type of site: adoption agency
Secret Garden is an adoption agency dedicated to listing all of the UCs that are up for adoption. Come visit us today! We're always updated.

Site owner:JennyPosted by:KellyDate: Aug 17
Type of site: Status Directory
Scheduled is a brand new status directory, run by the lovely Jenny of Craft. So please take the time to list your site (if applicable) and help her build her new site up.

Site owner:WeaponPosted by:WeaponDate: Aug 12
Type of site: Event Guide
The month of August includes events like the Discovery of Brightvale (11th), Usukicon (20th) and Mutant Day (25th). Check out The Expanded Calendar for more information and a full listing of all the Neopian events you can expect this month!

Site owner:TurnipPosted by:TurnipDate: Aug 12
Type of site: Guides and tutorial directory
Looking for button, layout, or general design guides? Check out The Tutorial Place! With in-depth guides and a
directory linking you to awesome tutorials on other petpages, TTP is here to help you.

Why Start A Site?

If you are going to start a site, you have to know what exactly you're getting into. There will be coding problems, low review scores, content stealers and more, but people still start sites: why? This article is going to explain exactly that.

You're doing something you love to do.
If you don't enjoy doing what your site offers, I would recommend closing it. Don't make banners if you don't want to make them! Held back frustration will only make you feel worse. Don't worry about closing your site: sites close all the time. But if you're going to start a site, do something that you want to do and like to do.

You can find out more about yourself.
This is a bit mental but through creating my sites, I feel like I found out more about myself! Before, I didn't really like writing, but when I received my first review, I thought, huh. This sounds kind of fun! So I started my own review site: and I loved it! What a surprise that was.

You're creating something special for others.
When you start a site, you aren't doing it for you. By offering a service to the site community, you have a role- a purpose. Doesn't that make you feel great? That feeling that you are performing a service to help someone. Remember, by creating a site, you make others smile!

It all sounds pretty good, right? But remember, making a site has risks. There are always people who aren't so great out there that will ruin your day. But guess what? If you know what you're getting into, it doesn't seem that hard, and you can avoid these situations too. Keep on reading!

People will steal your content. Whether it's coding, graphics or a button border, people will steal your work. Remember, people make mistakes! Always give them a second chance by sending them a polite neomail asking them to a) take it down, or b) give you credit. Most people will apologize and do what you ask. If they act rudely, you have every right to report them.

There may be disappointing requesters. Some people just aren't lucky with requesters. Some requesters will give you a very hard time: being picky, being rude, not using your advice/graphics/etc... it happens a lot! Make rules that are clear and firm: you must use your request, or please do not be too picky, I will try my best to fulfill your needs! This should filter out frustrating requesters.

You may not find time to update. That's totally okay! If you are worried about being inactive, take a look below: I have made a list of site types and what to expect from them.

Premade graphics
Premade graphic sites require frequent updates (to keep a wide selection of content for visitors) and you will need to fulfill the community's understanding of 'high quality content'.

Premade layouts
Updates can come a little bit slower, but you shouldn't go too long without updating. Fresh, new layouts every few weeks is a reasonable time frame.

Writing sites
Writing should have no spelling or grammar errors. Updates can be less frequent, but activity is still necessary. Interactive writing sites are great!

Review sites
You need to complete reviews in a reasonable time frame (1 week or so) and frequent updates are necessary.

Directories
Updates should come daily, and you need to advertise a lot! Directories are a lot harder than they look.

Community
Community sites like Buzz and Always Connected need to be updated daily: if you will not be available for some time, be sure to say that in your updates!

Ridiculous Requests

If you own a request site - maybe a button request site, or an adoptables site - then you've probably gotten some ridiculous requests before. A ridiculous request is just what it sounds like - a request that is just plain weird, maybe even totally atrocious. Unfortunately, these types of requests happen quite frequently - so to help lower those numbers, I've created a list of tips for the requester and site owner. These are only suggestions and are my opinion, so you don't have to follow any of them - but trying won't hurt, right?

For the requester:

Don't be picky about little details. Remember, all graphics/layouts on Neo are done for free, so you should be grateful for that! Many people spend hours making things just for you, so you shouldn't be too commanding of them - let them do what they think is best, and try not to bother them too much. I'm pretty sure a button maker will get frustrated if you make them redo an animation five times - once is enough, and maybe twice. But re-doing something more than three times isn't good!

Being too specific and making the graphic look cluttered. This is a graphic maker's nightmare. How will something look good if there are a billion things on it? Try to keep your options low but reasonable - that way it'll be easier for them to make the graphic, and I bet it'll look so much better too.

Read all the rules - don't skim! This is also a huge pet peeve of all site-makers - not reading the rules. It'll only take a few minutes, and reading them will make it both easier on you and the site owner - that way you'll have fewer questions, and won't request something that isn't allowed. It'll also let you know what's wrong and what's right, so your request won't be ridiculous.

Manners. Be nice to whomever is making you the graphic! Remember, they're taking time out of their day to do a free service for you. If you're very rude, then you may be blocked, and probably won't be able to request from them again - that will also get you a bad reputation. A please and thank you is common sense, and reading the rules also counts as being polite. Have a nice attitude too!

Too random. Try to make things flow in the graphic. It won't look good if you want a blue panda on a pink floral background, with a scary font. Try to stick to a theme, or something that will be easy to work with. It'll look much more pleasing that way, and it makes it easier for the graphic maker too!

Learn to make things yourself. This tip is definitely optional - not everyone has GIMP, Photoshop, or something to make graphics with. But if you're able to get something, why not try? After all, practice makes perfect. You'll know exactly what to make since it's in your mind - it might not turn out the way you want it to, but you'll get better, eventually. There's also no need to follow the above tips - after all, you're working with yourself, so you'll know what's best! Impulse's Tutorial and A Button Collection are my favorite button tutorials. You can also check out The Tutorial Place for a variety of guides - banners, icons, layouts, and more! Opaque has great icon tutorials (that can also be applied to other graphics), and Bisou has an adoptable tutorial.

Don't make it too complicated. Don't request a button with three animations, or a layout that changes graphics on every anchor you click. Imagine how long it will take to make - the site-owner will eventually get tired. Plus, it's a free service - they don't have to learn how to code a whole way just because you want it!

For the graphic maker:

Pick and choose. This is frowned upon by some people as it might look biased, but it still works. For example, Prime uses pick and choose - all the layouts Maddie made are for site owners who are kind and respectful, and who follow the rules. A handful of her layouts are still being used, probably because she chose established and dedicated sites, not one that'll close the next day.

Don't provide a fully custom choice - or have an alternate request choice. The first part is a bit iffy, but then again, we can't control what's on anyone else's site - plus, they're doing it on their own will. More freedom allows you to make the button more easily and finish it more quickly, and it'll look better since you make the decisions, and you know what's best! Plus, this may be more enjoyable to some since it doesn't provide a specific guideline. An example is One's nebula buttons, and Turnip'ssemi-custom petpages.

Own a premades site instead. This way, you won't have to deal with requests at all - you can work at your own pace and however you want. You can also provide suggestions and pick and choose which ones you want to do!

Be clear. Use good grammar so that the requester will know what you're trying to say - this tip goes for the requester, too! It'll make it easier for the both of you, and if you're clear on rules, then maybe you'll get less weird requests.

This is the end of another lengthy article. I hope this helped you in some way - let's see those ridiculous request numbers dwindle!

Great tips! One I would add for requesters is to make sure that the amount of text you want on your button
isn't too much. I've had button requests for sites with four or more words in their site names (or site
names with just a ton of characters). Requesters should keep an open mind and be prepared to get their
site name abbreviated if it's way too long.
- Turnip / Feb.17.2014

Unique Sites

If you keep up with the site-making community, by now you've probably seen pretty much every type of site - a link directory, a premade layout site, a review site, and so on. Every single site is unique, but have you ever seen a cupcake adoptable site before? Or maybe a site full of color schemes? There's even a site that helps you find friends! There are sites full of variety and style, but the ones listed below are truly one of a kind.

There's no other site on Neopets like Kleur. Kleur (Dutch for 'color') stays true to its name - it offers hundreds of color palettes! With Kleur, you'll never be lost on color schemes again. There are many colors for you to choose from, such as pretty pinks from La Vie En Rose, or most of the main rainbow from Bright Is Just Right. The content is also highly organized - you can browse the palettes alphabetically, by color, or from the user submitted section - not to mention the many other categories! Last but not least, there's a handy notepad for you to record your favorite colors, as well as an adorable blue layout to look at.

Echelon is another one of a kind site - sure, there have been ranking sites after it opened, but Echelon is the only one again - it's still going strong! It's a great honor if you're ranked here, and people will know to check out your site since it's one of the top. Rankings isn't all Echelon offers, though - there are honorable mentions as well as a hall of fame for the (sadly) closed sites that we all loved. Even though Echelon isn't as active as it used to be, browsing through it will bring old memories and new beginnings!

Here it is, our lovely Always Connected! This is the hub of the site-making community - it provides everything from helpful articles to interesting interviews, and handy news to pretty posters. It's owned by Turnip herself, who has a whopping nine sites in total! Always Connected is the place to find new sites, or be on the first spot on a waiting list due to the updated news. This should be a definite bookmark, for sure!

I never really liked cupcakes until I saw these two sites - Beyond the Batter and All of the Cupcakes. Both are owned by super talented, kind, and sweet owners - Meghan owns BtB while Maryann owns AotC. The art is truly beautiful and unique, and it's a shame we can't reach through our screens and eat those pretty cupcakes. You can always request one though, so be on the lookout!

Do you know what a gijinka is? It wasn't a term used on Neopets often until Bisou came along. Bisou doesn't offer animal adopts, or human adopts either - instead, they're humanized animals! Ashe's art and site idea is just brilliant, and she completes requests in record time. Her art is high quality, and that's why the waiting list fills up quickly - if you didn't request in time, you can always use Bisou's very own chibi maker! Plus, the layout is bright and attractive, so what's to lose?

Buzz is also the first of its kind - it's the site I was talking about earlier, dedicated to making friends! At Buzz you can fill out a profile as well as look at other ones, and see if you have anything in common - maybe you'll wind up being best friends! If you're too shy to chat on the boards or join guilds, I suggest you give Buzz a try.

The last site on this article (I didn't mean to make so long) is Line Up. Line Up will make your stalking life so much easier - it lists every single active request site (as well as one specialty site) and provides many kinds of news - when a site has a new layout, recently completed requests, open/closed requests, etc. It's a minimalistic site with a cool theme, so this is another site you must bookmark!

So there you have it - a list of Neopia's most unique sites! Do you think you can make one yourself? Let your creative juices flow! Who knows what you'll come up with? Maybe these sites will inspire you. Writer's block is calling to me - maybe next time I see you, your site will be listed on here. Best of luck in your site-making journey!

Animation Counts

Animation in a button makes a huge difference in the button quality. If you have a great button with a not-so-great animation, that could be a problem. One thing to remember is: you don't have to animate a button. Below is an unanimated button by Rico at Euphoric. Is the button still high quality? Yes!

But if you do animate, there are two different ways to do it. The most common is go with the flow: go with commonly used, more well-known animations that are tried-and-true. Things like the shine and sparkle animation are seen a lot, as well as glow and appear/disappear. You can also make it special: create your own animations! Do the unbelievable. Make something that has never been seen before, something that will stand out.

Below I have listed several buttons that use creative animation. Remember, by being creative with your animation you are making your buttons different from others. These buttonmakers have done just that!

This button by Sandy is very simple and minimalistic. What spruces it up? The animation! By using a unique 'appear' animation that differs from the usual, you get a pretty button that stands out from the crowd.